Best native american grasses?

Emerson White

Posts: 1206

Location: Alaska

posted 5 years ago

I know big bluestem is considered good forage grass and I've purchased some seed to plant in a neglected weedy field by the house in hopes of crowding out the weeds and having something beautiful and productive (and no, I cannot plant trees, powerlines pass overhead). I know that it's supposed to be one of the better grasses, but not the best. Does anyone know what else might be better to plant? There isn't anything in this part of the world that eats grass, save for the geese that fly through and the snowshoe hares that haven't lived in the city for 30 years, but maybe someone can cut it and feed it to rabbits, or whatever. Anything would be better than the invasive toadflax that lives there now, including salted barren earth.

Tyler Ludens

pollinator

Posts: 8982

Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8

132

posted 5 years ago

Does it need to be grass? What about native meadow broad-leafed annual and perennial plants, for the native and migratory birds and the butterflies, etc? Maybe add in a few grasses because some butterflies need them as larval food.

Well they went through and cut out the trees years ago, and all they seem to have done is come back every few years and re-cut them. It's native plants being overtaken by weeds, so I don't think that I will find anything that's already here that will outdo them. Based on the weeds that are there anything taller than 18" and thick should shade them out, though after reading the RCD thread it occurred to me that there is some RCG within a few miles, so maybe that will be there chocking everything out soon enough...

Brice Moss

Posts: 700

Location: rainier OR

2

posted 5 years ago

around here I'd say just wait and the bird will bring in blackberries but then my love of blackberry brush is gonna get me in trouble one of these days